Improvement in pumps for deep wells



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT CORNELIUS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPS FOR DEEP WELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53, 117, dated March 13,1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT GoRNEL1Us,of the city of Philadelphia` and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pumps for Oil-Wells; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, and in which- Figurel is a vertical section of my improvedpump, Fig. 2, a modification ofmy improved pump; Figs. 3 and 4, are vertical sections, show ing alternative forms of my improved pump.

Numerous attempts have been made to overcome the difculty in the use of the ordinary oil-pump arising from the fact that the heavy column of fluid in the tube above the pump, pressing upon the upper puppet-valve, keeps it in its seat while the piston is descending. Consequently the descent of the piston merely condenses the gas in the pump-chamber, and

when the piston ascends this condensed gas onlyexpands. Consequently no vacuum is produced below the piston. Therefore the entrance of oil into the pump at its lower extremity does not take place. In such pumps, where there is much gas in the well the piston continues to operate for a length of time without producing any apparent defect in raising gas 0r oil from the well.

The nature of my improvement consists in enlarging the pump-chamber, either at one or'both ends ot' the stroke of the piston, so as to form a circumferential passage for the escape of the gas between the exterior of the piston and the wall of the enlarged chamber, for the purpose of enabling the gas to escape by the piston.

In Fig. 1,A B represent the ordinary pumpchamber, usually about five feet long and one and three-fourth inch in diameter. C is an ordinary piston with its ball-valve. D is the ordinary piston-rod, and E is the ordinary ballvalve at the lower part 0f the pump-chamber. In these respects the figure represents a common pump. At F G, I surround the exterior of the pump-tube by another tube, F G, two and one-half inches in diameter and twelve inches long, forming an annular passage or chamber one-fourth of an inch wide all around the walls of the pumpchamber. This exterior tube is screwed to the pump-tube at both extremities, as shown at F and G. One or more vertical slots or apertures, H I, are made communicating between the interior ot' the pump-chamber and the exterior' chamber, F G.

The operation of the exterior chamber, F G, in connection with its passages is as follows: As the the pistou asceuds it draws the gas, or oil containingva great quantity of gas, into the chamber, and when the piston has passed the point F the gas from below escapes laterally, by reason of its levity and the pressure of liquid above, through the passages H and I, as shown by the arrow. The place occupied by the gas is replaced by liquid from above coming down through the exterior chamber and the slotted passages. The pump-chamber below the pistou is thus lled with iiuid instead of gas, and as the piston descends the upper valve freely opens as the piston slides down. If there be a supply of iiuid, 'either oil or water, below, the pump will raise this up as an ordinary pump; but if gas enters the pump-chamber it will be forced up, as stated.. Thus the piston can never be occupiedin merely condensing gas,as in the ordinary pump, but must either raise a column of liuid or compel a column of gas to ascend.

Instead of placing the enlarged chamber F G at the upper end ofthe pump-chamber, as in Fig. l, it may be placed atthe lower extremity ofthe pump-chamber, as in Fig'. 2. In that case, when the piston descends, if there be a supply of gas below, it condenses the gas until the piston has passed the point G, when the gas escapes upward through the lateral openings H l from below, around the top of the piston, and escapes through the tube.' When there is fluid (oil or water) below it operates as an ordinary pump.

Instead of a separate annular chamber, as in Figs. l and 2, with slotted passages of communication, an enlargement of the cylinder, as lshown at F G, Figs. 3 and 4, will answer the same purpose, and to prevent the piston in such cases from wabbling in the enlarged passage a guide tube or socket covered with leather, with side openings, K K, may be used to guide the piston.

My improvement may be applied at either between the circumference of the pulilnp-cylina end or at both ends of the piston-chamber. der and the enlarged chamber, substantially Haring thus described my improvement, as described.

what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- ROBERT CORNELIUS' The supplemental annuler chember at one Vitnesses:

or both ends of the stroke, so as to form e cir- J. E. SHAW,

cumi'erential passage for the escape ofthe gas GEO. BUOKLEY. 

